Dental model articulators, sometimes referred to as correlators, have for a number of years been used by dental technicians to support the dental model casts which are used in the forming and adjustment of dental prosthetics. These articulators have ranged from simple hinged devices to complex mechanisms having many adjustments. In more recent years the trend has been to utilize inexpensive disposable articulators which are flexible. These articulators are designed to permit the technician to move the model casts in a manner which simulates masticating as well as other movements to which a denture may be subjected during use. The early devices of the simple hinge type were not suitable for accurate alignment of the dental model casts and could not simulate denture movements. The result of using this type of device was many visits to a dentist for adjustment and reforming of the dentures. The more complex devices did provide improved accuracy in the alignment of the model casts. These, however, were quite expensive, required a great deal of training to use, and did not provide the needed feature which permits simulation of occlusal and masticatory movement.
The following listed U.S. patents are directed to dental articulators as described above: U.S. Pat. Nos. 750,203; 824,096, 1,798,518; 2,138,254; 3,429,045; 3,466,750; 4,382,787; 4,449,930; 4,533,323, and 4,548,581.
The more recent mentioned patents, beginning with U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,787, disclose articulators which are intended to provide resiliency which permits simulation of occlusal and masticatory movement of the dental model casts. These devices, however, have proven to have several shortcomings which are overcome by the present invention. While these devices provide some resiliency for permitting simulation of occlusal and masticatory movement, the geometry of the design does not provide a smooth mastication movement which is a generally circular movement rather than a left to right movement. This problem arises because the configuration of these prior articulating devices require a much greater force to effect a protrusive or back and forth movement between the dental model casts than the force required to effect a right to left movement between the casts. Another problem encountered with these prior articulating devices is that the attachment location of the mounting elements to the dental model casts is quite critical since no provision is made for lateral adjustment of the device after the mounting element is attached to the cast. Thus, if the location of the mount is incorrect in a lateral direction, a new cast must be made and the mounting process repeated. Yet another shortcoming of these resilient prior art articulating devices is that no provision is made to position the teeth of the dental model casts in a spaced apart relationship, that is to say when the articulator is closed, contact will be made between one or more of the model teeth. It is apparent that the parallel but spaced apart positioning of the teeth provides a valuable advantage to a technician wishing to compare the match of the model teeth while maintaining a space in which to insert the appropriate tools for modification of the teeth.
The primary objects of the present invention are to obviate these and other shortcomings of the prior articulators in an effective and economical manner.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.